Page 24 of Consume Me

She waved a man over to stay with me. I knew she wouldn’t trust me to stay here alone, but the guard she left me with looked me over, a mildly uncomfortable expression on his face. Was it because I was pregnant? Or because he knew who I was? I didn’t care. Either way he was damned in my book. I counted down from fifty. I needed enough time to make it look real and more time to do what I needed to before she got back.

“Excuse me, I need to use the loo,” I called to him.

“You can wait,” he said.

“You’ve obviously not spent a lot of time around pregnant women,” I said flatly. “Fine. Someone else will clean it up.”

I was absolutely willing to call his bluff on this.

He looked torn, which meant that he would be the one who had to clean it up. His prisoner. His mess. “Fine. This way.”

He clutched my arm as he led me to a bathroom, but he was surprisingly gentle. I wanted to ask him if he knew who I was, but I didn’t need another unnerving, out-of-body experience.

“I’ll be out here,” he said.

The bathroom didn’t offer any escape options, which wasn’t shocking. There was a ventilation grate that I might have fit into if I wasn’t carrying the equivalent of a watermelon around my torso. That was it. This place wasn’t big on natural light it seemed. Being alone gave me time to think, however. They’d bring me back to the clinic. I knew that, so the most I could hope for was seeing as much of the space as possible. Information was power.

I collected myself for a moment, tucking away as much as I could: how many exam rooms we’d passed, the laboratory, the basic layout of everywhere I’d been taken. It wasn’t much but it was a start. When I opened the door, I clung to it, trying to look unsteady on my feet. It was a smart move, because June was standing next to the guard holding a bowl of gelatin.

Yeah, that was going to do the trick.

“Thank you,” I enthused, layering on the sugar. I reached out for help and the guard supported me. My fingers itched near his badge but taking it now wouldn’t help me. It would be noticed before I had a chance to use it and it wouldn’t take much to figure out where it had gone.

No, I needed to be smart about this. I needed a plan. I needed as much information as possible. I needed more time. I just wasn’t sure how much more I had.

“Just a little something,” June said, holding out a spoonful. “They’ll deliver your trays later.”

I wanted to gag as I swallowed, hating myself for taking her help while hating how grateful I was to have something to ear. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course, dear.” And she patted my hand again.

My skin crawled wherever I’d been touched: where the nurse had held my arm while drawing blood, where the doctors hands had felt my abdomen to determine the baby’s position, where June had patted my hand like she could comfort me. We returned to the dark corridor but instead of being taken to the room where I’d found the clothes, I was brought to the room next door.

“They finally have your room ready and there’s fresh maternity clothes there,” June told me, like she expected a reward for her thoughtfulness. I forced a smile. “I think your arrival surprised them.”

How? They’d been planning this. I couldn’t even imagine for how long.

“Whose room was that?” But I had a few questions for my doting nurse.

June looked to where I pointed. “Oh. That’s Rachel’s room.”

“Rachel?” I asked. Maybe I hadn’t seen a ghost after all.

“Another psychiatric case. You probably won’t see her. She tends to hide.”

My blood froze in my veins. Another? Is that what she thought I was? Was that the lie they were selling the clueless people who worked here? People who must see as little of the outside world as their prisoners?

“But her room was unlocked.” It didn’t make sense. Why had I been able to get to her.

“Our patients are free to roam this wing,” she explained

“All the other doors were locked.”

“You’re free to lock yours.”

Only because they could unlock it when the wanted, I was sure. “Are there many others?”

“Not now. We recently had one of our patients leave us,” June smiled sadly. “Such a bright girl. I do hope she’s doing well.”